Silicones and siliceous surfaces have a broad range of applications in medical and diagnostic devices as well as instrumentation and sensors. In many applications, transparency must be maintained for functional performance, but inclusion of a dye is at the same time desirable for either locating the device or filtering unwanted wavelengths of light. One example of such a use is in the application of silicone elastomer for use in forming contact lenses. In order to find the location of the device and/or the device edge, it is useful to have coloration, but the device must still substantially remain transparent. Most dyes are not soluble in silicones or, if soluble in silicones, have undesirable physiological properties.
Thus, there remains a need in the art for suitable dyes for silicone-based materials, including silicone polymers and elastomers that allow for some coloration while allowing the materials to retain their transparency.